You see, my opinion on elves was mainly built by JRRT - proud and beautiful folk and so on - so I was quite shocked by Terry´s elves burning villages, torturing people or pushing baby rabbits into anthill... Well, of course Terry´s elves are also proud and beautiful folk, but - you know what I mean.

Yes, Jarmara, I was disgusted by people submitting to Count´s plan... "Torches had been lit. People had congregated there, most of them with blankets across their shoulders or a coat over their night clothes, standing around in aimless groups like people who'd heard the fire alarm but hadn't seen the smoke... 'I will just have a brief chat to the mayor,' said the Count. 'He appreciates being kept informed.' ... She noticed the vampires taking up positions in a line in front of the bell tower, about four or five feet apart. ... The Count was deep in conversation with the mayor, who was staring down at his feet. Now, across the square, the people were beginning to form lines. A couple of small children pulled away from their parents' hands and chased one another up and down the lines of people, laughing ..." and so on

Well, you can say the people had not much of choice, against intelligent and well-organized vampires - but nevertheless, I think they should have fought against them...

And yes, I know how evil can vampires be, that´s why I like rather the Old Count´s attitude to these matters - Don´tgonearthecastle

Mr Brown goes off to town on the 8:21
But he comes home each evening and he’s ready with his gun

But people are like this - they do put up with the most awful things because they are afraid to make a stand. In our own history there have been similar cases of communities under fear of death who have complied rather than stood up to their aggressors.

I think if you look at the parallels then Terry has captured human behaviour very well indeed.

Same for me Tony, I think I enjoyed L&L all the more because it turned around that elf stereotype. Overall I really enjoy Terry's books because he makes you look at things differently, and he really captures true human nature.

I agree, he doesn't hesitate to illustrate the worst as well as the best. It does make you cringe when you read how some of the characters behave in the worst situations, like when they're being bigoted and hateful and looking for any reason to attack each other. It's all too real.

Ahhhhh, I see about the elves! In actual fact, it wasn't Terry who turned Elves characters on their heads, it was the Victorians and in some respects, Tolkien. All that stuff Terry wrote about things people did to ward off fairies is taken from actual Earthbound folklore, stuff people really did.

Back when people really believed in fairies (elves, whatever) they feared them. They stole your children, they killed your livestock, they spirited you away to their fairylands and you were lost forever. Terry is taking the Fey back to their roots, I'm all for it.

As for Escrow, as Tony says, this is how people tend to react. Sad but true and one of the things I like best about the Discworld books is the representation of real people and real reactions. I don't read any other fantasy because the people are all to perfect, too black and white. I prefer humanity real, even if that means sometimes ugly.

Jarmara wrote:Ahhhhh, I see about the elves! In actual fact, it wasn't Terry who turned Elves characters on their heads, it was the Victorians and in some respects, Tolkien. All that stuff Terry wrote about things people did to ward off fairies is taken from actual Earthbound folklore, stuff people really did.

i agree with jarmra on this the legends on fairies say about changlings , the aversion to iron and getting trapped in fairy rings. one of my other favourite authors simon r green also portrays fairies as right evil barstewards

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